Shopping With Smartphones Becoming Commonplace

Over half of U.S. consumers who’ve made at least one purchase on their smartphone have done so based on a marketing message delivered via mobile email. That's according to a study by ExactTarget, a provider of on-demand email marketing and interactive marketing solutions.

Smartphone messaging is driving purchases across all channels—online and off according to the company. ExactTarget suggests that marketers look to optimize their messaging in ways that recognize the consumer’s mobility and control.

The finding is one of several ew insights into how consumers are shopping, making purchases and becoming more dependent on emails, text alerts and mobile coupons delivered to their smartphones every day.

“With more than 89 percent of U.S. online consumers owning a cell phone and 40 percent owning a smartphone, this is a watershed moment for marketers,” said Jeff Rohrs, vice president, ExactTarget’s Marketing Research and Education Group. “Rapid smartphone adoption is transforming how consumers interact with brands and connect to the world.”

While calling, texting and emailing remain the most frequent daily activities for smartphone users, the study found consumers are increasingly using their smartphones for more than the basics.

Key findings of the research include:

-More than a third would give up their laptop computer (40%) or microwave (34%) to stay connected with their smartphone

-16 percent of smartphone owners have completed at least one purchase as a direct result of a marketing message they received on their smartphone

-Of those, 55 percent have completed a purchase directly on their smartphone, 43 percent have completed a purchase on their computer, and 35 percent report purchasing in-store

-35 percent of smartphone users check Facebook several times a day on their smartphone

-34 percent of people have checked a bank account balance on their smartphone

-28 percent of smartphone owners have used their phone at least once to check in using location-based services like Foursquare or Facebook Places

-24 percent have scanned a QR code or barcode on their smartphone

“A majority of smartphone owners are now comfortable making purchases with their smartphones,” said Tim Kopp, ExactTarget’s chief marketing officer. “However, as our Mobile Dependence Day report makes clear, smartphone messaging is driving purchases across all channels—online and off. Marketers must, therefore, look to optimize their messaging in ways that recognize the consumer’s mobility and control.”

Mobile Dependence Day is the ninth research brief in ExactTarget’s Subscribers, Fans & Followers research series. The series provides marketers exclusive insight into how U.S. consumers interact with brands online based on a series of focus groups, interviews and surveys conducted in May and June 2011.